Flock Safety license plate reader contract
At a glance
Based on auto-generated captions; names and details may be misheard and outcomes incomplete.
- What: Cleveland's use of Flock license plate reader cameras, and the wider surveillance technology program (license plate readers, drones, audio sensors, cameras) run through the police real-time crime center.
- Where it stands: a commenter said on 2026-10-19 that council's six-month renewal from July is not backed by an active signed contract, and that the city has issued a new request for proposals for license plate readers and similar technology.
- Next: no council action on this at the 10/19 meeting; watch for a properly executed agreement, the police transparency portal, and any vendor award from the new request for proposals.
Public comment, 2026-10-19
Per one resident speaking in public comment; not verified against city records.
- Bren Adams (Ward 12 resident, Flock No campaign) said the campaign began over a roughly $2 million no-bid Flock contract and has widened to the regional fusion center and the real-time crime center.
- Claimed growth over five years: audio surveillance from about 3 to over 13 square miles, from no drones to at least nine, from no license plate readers to about 100, and from 350 cameras to several thousand.
- Said that, with help from Councilman Davis, residents learned the city has no active Flock contract despite the July renewal, so the council's added guardrails are not legally enforceable.
- Said public-records requests have gone unanswered for months and the police have had more than 90 days to activate a Flock transparency portal required as a condition of continued use.
- Urged council to reject expansion of surveillance; noted the city's new request for proposals for a vendor.
Committee discussion, 2026-10-14
The committee discussed whether the Community Police Commission or the inspector general has authority over license plate reader policy. A Division of Police policy exists, and the law department is reviewing the commission's resolution. No action was taken. See 2026-10-14 - Safety Committee.
Sources
Discussion time
About 3 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-19 - City Council | 3 |
Log
- 2026-10-19 - City Council - Bren Adams (public comment) described the contract status and surveillance expansion; council did not discuss it.
- 2026-10-05 - City Council - Public comment raised the contract extension and vendor change; no council discussion.
- 2026-11-09 - City Council - Agenda lists ordinances 1378-2026 to 1380-2026 (license plate readers, drones, gunshot detection) for first reading; see Surveillance Technology Contracts (1378-1380-2026).